RALLY OF MEXICO, STARTING WITH THE TRAPS OF EL CHOCOLATE AFTER THE TWO TOWN SS

Rally Mexico is ready to get underway with tonight's double city special stage in Guanajuato, after the shakedown led by Kalle Rovanperä and Esapekka Lappi and characterised by the choice of soft tyres by all the drivers, ahead of the sandier special stages with less grip. The WRC1 drivers will therefore have 24 hard (prime) and 12 option (soft) tyres at their disposal.

Pirelli engineers' analysis after the recces shows that the points of attention for the race are:

• The considerable evolution of the tracks on Friday, not only between the first and second passes of each stage, but also during the stage itself, while on Saturday the much more compact surfaces show a less marked degradation
• The El Chocolate test, one of the most challenging in the world championship, where the fate of the entire race can be played out in the context of the already crucial day on Friday
• The alternation of surfaces characterised by the presence of stones and pebbles, which tend to increase passage after passage, and the large sections with loose gravel and sand, with reduced grip levels
• The temperatures, which place high stress on the tyres, and the altitudes, which affect engine power

PIRELLI TYRES IN MEXICO
Scorpion KX WRC: the Pirelli gravel tyre developed for the top category is available for Rally1 cars in two compounds, both in the 2022 evolution, which features reinforced structures and an optimised design. For Mexico, the HA hard compound version, which offers greater durability and greater resistance to the most abrasive and grippy surfaces, is the first. The soft SA compound version, which provides optimum grip even on slippery surfaces, is the option. 

Scorpion K: The gravel tyres for WRC2 and WRC3 are also available in hard and soft compounds, with many of the same characteristics as the KX for Rally1 cars. In Mexico, Rally2 cars have K4B (hard) and K6B (soft) tyres, while Rally3 cars have K4 (hard) and K6 (soft).